Run over in Indy

Ice scores late, takes 2-0 lead

Posted: Sunday, March 23, 2003

INDIANAPOLIS - The Amarillo Gorillas will have some work to do next weekend - make that a lot of work.

A night after Amarillo gave up three third-period goals in almost 312 minutes, Ryan Carter notched his second goal of the best-of-five Central Hockey League series when he beat Amarillo netminder Shawn Degagne with 25 seconds left in Saturday's game, giving Indianapolis a 3-2 victory in Game 2 of the Northern Conference semifinal series in front of more than 3,500 fans.

The Ice heads to Amarillo this week with a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 is slated for 7 p.m. Friday in the Cal Farley Coliseum.

Oklahoma City is the last CHL team to win a five-game playoff series after losing the first two games - against Wichita in 2000.

Carter's game-winning goal was compliments of a Mark DeSantis penalty. With 1:16 remaining and the score tied 2-2, the veteran Amarillo defenseman made a rookie-like miscue. DeSantis picked up a high-sticking call as he planted Ice rookie Etienne Morin into the boards and was sent to the penalty box.

The penalty gave Indianapolis its eighth power play of the game, and the Ice made good on it as Carter took an assist from Bernie John - who had missed much of the first two periods due to injury - and streamed his shot past Degagne (0-2) for the game-winner.

Gorillas' coach Joe Ferras was ejected after the goal.

Amarillo, which was outshot for the second consecutive game, fought from behind all night, erasing one-goal leads in the first and second periods.

Indy 3, Gorillas 2

Records: Indianapolis is 41-16-9; Amarillo is 39-25-2.

Impact: The Ice take a 2-0 series lead over the Gorillas.

Key Stat: After Amarillo's Mark De Santis went off for high-sticking with 1:16 left, Ryan Carter broke a 2-2 tie with 25 seconds remaining.

With time winding down on the Gorillas' initial power play, Henry Kuster unleashed a shot that clanked off the post, and the Gorillas' opportunity to jump out to a 1-0 first-period lead was quelled.

But right after Kuster's missed chance, Indianapolis capitalized on a Brian Pellerin cross-checking penalty.

Less than 30 seconds into the Ice's power play, Carter deflected a John shot past Degagne to give his team a 1-0 lead.

But Amarillo stormed back, getting an even-strength goal from John Dean more than a minute later to tie it 1-1. It was Dean's second playoff goal in as many nights, his third point of the series.

Indianapolis' Kevin St. Jacques, however, broke the 1-1 tie a little more than five minutes into the second frame when he took assists from Jason Baird and Morin and squirted his attempt past Degagne for the second time in as many games. It was the second time in the series that Baird, St. Jacques and Morin combined for an Indianapolis score.

But the Gorillas weren't finished..

Three minutes after St. Jacques go-ahead goal, Amarillo rookie Darren Curry scored his first-career playoff goal when he took feeds from Dorian Anneck and DeSantis and beat Jamie Morris to tie it again 2-2.

David Rattray and Dean had excellent chances to give Amarillo its first lead of the game with less than 10 minutes to play in regulation, but their shots sailed wide.